Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume has criticised the proposed cybersecurity levy imposed on Nigerians by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The lawmaker who represents Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly condemned the levy in an interview on Channels Television programme Politics Today on we the weekend, saying that the proposed cybersecurity levy would increase the tax burden on Nigerians without an attendant increase in their income.
Ndume argued that it was not proper for the government to continue to levy the citizens while nothing is done to increase their income.
“You cannot be loading taxes on people when you are not increasing their income. Their source of income, you are not widening it, you are not increasing it. I am not part of those that support levying people anyhow,” Ndume said.
“The amendment to the Cybersecurity Act, I supported it but not the nitty-gritty and I am not trying to run away from any blame.
“We have issues with cybercrime you know that, and there is a need for the government to improve the Cybercrime Act, that is what I understand by the amendment.
“Looking at the nitty-gritty would have been the responsibility of interested parties. If I had known there is an issue where a cost would be transferred to a customer or a Nigerian I would not agree,” he stated.
The CBN had, on May 6, directed all deposit money banks, mobile money operators, payment service providers and other financial institutions to implement a 0.5 percent cybersecurity levy on electronic transactions following the amendment of the Cybercrime Act by the National Assembly.
According to a circular by the apex bank, the deduction of the levy are to be remitted to the National Cybersecurity Fund (NCF), administered by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
However, the CBN directive has not gone down well with Nigerians and civil society organisations with the labour unions threatening a nationwide action should the government fail to withdraw the directive.
The House of Representatives has also waded into the issue by asking the CBN to withdraw the directive which it said is shrouded in ambiguity.
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